A quick guide to knowing just how your character looks from their clothes to their weapons.
When building a character for a tabletop game, oftentimes, there isn’t a clear picture of what your character looks like. Unless you have an artist draw them up or talk about how they look, other players and even the dungeon master may not always remember what they wear or wield. We’ve put together an easy guide so you and everyone at the table gets a clear and precise picture of what your character is all about.
While this is more specifically aimed at TTRPG’s, these can easily be applied to any character creation.
Choose a Color Scheme
When thinking of Lord of the Rings, Gandalf is always depicted as wearing either blue or gray/white. He always walks with his famous walking stick and smokes a pipe. The movies helped cement this image into our heads and we’ve never forgotten it. Color is a great way to make your character stand out from others. When you’re building your character, follow this list:
What is their favorite color?
Perhaps they wear a lot of whatever color that is. A bard may paint their instruments a shade of purple and take on the name ‘The Purple Pantomime’.
Mix and Match Colors
You could also try mixing and matching colors too. Wearing colorful vibrant clothes is a great way to be remembered.
Hair and Beard
Dying your characters hair or beard is a great way to differentiate yourself.
What does your character carry with them?
Having your character carry around a specific item is a good way to remember them by. It could be something like a weapon, using a particular spell, or carrying a flask or coin they play with.
Use a Character Miniature Builder
Programs like Hero Forge, Eldritch Foundry, or Doll Divine are great tools for bringing your characters to life. They allow you to customize your character in a number of ways. Once you’re done you can either have a 3D mini mailed to you or print it out yourself using a 3D printer. Many online creators even provide additions such as weapons, pets, and poses you can set your character in as well.
Ruuda Drybarrel made in Eldritch Foundry.
Video Game Character Creators
RPG video games are a great resource for building out your character. Whether it’s Elder Scrolls Online, Neverwinter, Baldur’s Gate 3, or Solasta, all of them give you a chance to create a vivid character. You may end up spending hours in the character creator but it’s all worth it in the end.
You can then take a picture of the character and bring it with you to future sessions.
Examples
We are going to take the list above and offer examples. These are all characters from our epic fantasy Thread of Souls book series. If you are still lost on how to narrow down this information, check these out!
What makes Ruuda stand out?
On the run from her city’s caste system, Ruuda dyed her hair red, orange, yellow, and white to hide herself from those who may know her. To her friends, she easily stands out during battles and chaotic moments. She also carries around a barrel she wears like a backpack.
What does Taliesin wear?
Taliesin is a cleric who spent his life putting undead to rest so he wears all black attire. He also themes his outfit around his goddess and wears spiderwebs.
Why does Jade have a tattoo?
Jade grew up in a nomadic druid tribe where everyone got tattoos that represent culture and tradition. It is similar to Polynesian island tribes.
How does Jasita speak?
Jasita is very soft spoken in large crowds. She relies on reading people’s minds to get information. She is a researcher and academic and often uses larger words and phrases to get her point across.
Why does the Citadel wear pink robes?
The Citadel is a place of law and order as well as a school. The robes represent station and power. The color pink was chosen because it is easily noticeble and anyone who sees it will instantly recognize it means the Citadel is here.
Fun Fact: It may also be becuase Dorian watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and loved how Dolores Umbridge wore pink. It isn’t an evil color at all and that’s what makes it unique and engaging. Not saying the Citadel is evil.
We look at the must-have’s for a good character backstory, as well as how not to get overwhelmed!
When you are writing your character backstory, it can be easy to stare at a blank page and wonder how to even approach it. Character lives are complex, after all. And how do you condense all this information into a quick-read format? We’ve got an easy guide here for you to follow to help create all your characters! While this is more specifically aimed at D&D and other TTRPG’s, these can easily be applied to any character creation.
What You Absolutely Must Know About Your Character
There are core tenants that make up every character and help shape them. There are also key pieces of information that will help drive plot forward during a D&D game. When you sit down to write your character’s background, follow this list:
Where they grew up.
Was it a city or a rural environment? Was it coastal, snowy, mountainous? Was it a center of activity or a slower pace of life? All these things help shape how your character perceives the world.
Childhood
Some core childhood questions to answer are: Did they have friends? Was their family wealthy or poor? What did they do for fun?
Positive Relationships
Make note of any good relationships they had in their life, whether it be family, friends, a mentor, or other figure.
Neutral Relationships
Is there anyone important that had a small association with?
Negative Relationships
Is there someone they hate? Someone they wronged? Someone who would rather see them dead?
Personality Traits and Flaws
Make a very small list of some key points of their personality and key flaws. Don’t overdo it. A lot of this will flesh itself out once you are really inside the character.
Open-Ended Conflict
The most important thing to include is open-ended conflict. Something that can be resolved as the story plays itself out. Something that can come back to hurt the character. Did your character make a mistake? Run away from something? Leave something unfinished? All these are great starting points.
How Not to Get Overwhelmed
All that information above can seem like a lot to tackle. But don’t get overwhelmed! There is one simple rule that will help you not feel lost in this character creation. You might not like it, but here it is.
Keep the backstory to 1-2 pages.
Do not go over that. Truly understanding the character often means simplicity. Break down the core of all that information above into its simplest formats. Don’t add in unnecessary details. Don’t add in dialogue. Don’t go on “side quests”. Keep it simple so you can focus on the soul of your character.
Examples
We are going to take the list above and offer examples. These are all characters from our epic fantasy Thread of Souls book series. If you are still lost on how to narrow down this information, check these out!
Where did Unole grow up?
The empire’s capital city in the plains. It’s very busy and diverse.
What was Ruuda’s childhood like?
The youngest of 12 siblings. Her family is middle-class. She had a small number of friends. She liked to play pranks on her siblings and help with the family business.
What were Sen’s positive relationships?
Sen had a girlfriend that he’s since lost track of, but he very much loved her. He admires his former pirate captain “the Baroness” and is still loyal to her.
What were Artemis’ neutral relationships?
She knew a variety of soldiers and Rangers during her time in the war.
What were Taliesin’s negative relationships?
Taliesin crossed the line of acceptable behavior for his station with the ruling priestesses of his city, so he has angered all of them.
What are Jasita’s personality traits and flaws?
Jasita is studious, dedicated, curious, and soft-spoken. She is socially awkward and often reads people’s minds to try and understand them, which makes people angry with her.
What is Jade’s open-ended conflict?
Wild Elf Jade is wanted in the Elven capital city because she crossed racial lines and became romantic with a High Elf. She hasn’t returned to the city since.
The third Panel from Hell revealed an extensive amount of details for what’s to come in Baldur’s Gate 3. We are huge fans of the Early Access module and are excited for the future of the game. This isn’t going to be an article about all of the new things coming to Patch 5 because there’s a lot of it and you can read it all here. Instead, we’re going to be focusing on one specific aspect of the stream, the LARPG mechanic, and how it can be used to inspire story creation.
We give our top tips to creating stories and developing characters in your world to make your Dungeons & Dragons game the best it can be!
Larian Studios did something a little different than their last two Panels from Hell streams. Instead of focusing on Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay, the studio designed an epic live-action role-playing (LARP) event involving developers acting as a Dungeons & Dragons party. Swen Vincke, founder and creative director of Larian Studios, led the party on a grand adventure taking them through the real-life castle of Gravensteen Castle.
Establishing the Party
The stream consisted of a party of four including Warlock, Fighter, Ranger, Cleric, Druid, Wizard, and Rogue. Your home game doesn’t have to include a specific class of characters nor does it need one class above all to make the party dynamic work. There is a reason skills exist and that’s why anyone is free to roll for any skill whether you’re a wizard who’s trying to pick a lock or a barbarian who’s trying to be stealthy.
Click on the picture to go to Amazon’s product page for Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition
Discuss Who You are
During the stream, Swen would ask party members questions about their character. Even though the dungeon master may be aware of a character’s backstory, other players may not be. It could be used as a moment to discuss more about who your character is. Or it sets up a nice scene to talk about characters and their story.
This can be done during a quest while the party is walking through the area or dungeon or during a long rest. Partch 5 for Baldur’s Gate 3 will change how the resting system works by shifting the standard location to the area where the party is exploring. It’s during this time that characters will typically talk to one another about something on their mind. One scene showed the adventuring party resting around a campfire discussing their adventure. This is a great moment to talk about your character and their background.
Backgrounds are another great way to interact with the players and their characters. If a character has the Folk Hero background the dungeon master can pull from it to encourage role-play. For instance, a Folk Hero is able to blend in in certain scenarios. A DM can have an NPC approach the character and give them a safe place to rest for a time. From there the game master can have the NPC reach out to the Folk Hero for help and then reward them with experience points or items or whatever they so choose.
You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them.
LARPing is all about dressing as the character you are playing as. This can also be done at the table whether it’s digital or physical. The outfit can be full-on cosplay and include homemade weapons and armor or something like casual cosplay. Casual cosplay is matching everyday clothes you may have to that of your character’s aesthetic.
Another option is to wear accessories that your character may wear. Objects like necklaces, rings, or scarves are simple yet add so much to who your character is.
Make a Mood Room
A mood room is a place that inspires creativity. It is full of all of the stuff that helps you create a story, character, or project. While you may not have access to an entire castle like the Panel from Hell 3, you can build your own where ever you live.
Setting up a Mood Room:
Dungeons & Dragons minis
Weapons and armor
Books
Accessories
Sit and listen to fantasy music
Play a fantasy video game like Baldur’s Gate
Role-play Outside of the Game
The character’s in the stream role-played their characters throughout the panel. They spoke and acted just like their character would in a Dungeons & Dragons game. Yet beforehand they practiced their part and got into character like actors would before a movie role. It’s something you can do at home outside of the game as well. By spending time thinking or acting as your character away from the game, you can help build who they are all the time. Characters are always shifting, changing, and growing and character development can even happen outside of the game. You can also use this time to talk to other players as your character or discuss them away from the table.
We give our top tips to discussing backstory and lore in your world to make your tabletop game the best it can be!
Official guidebooks for tabletop games present a plethora of information regarding cultures and history but knowing how or when to introduce players to certain information can be difficult. We break down the best ways players and dungeon masters can present backstory to be more inclusive and have a fun game!
Bring it up in Conversations
One of the best and easiest ways to drop tidbits of lore and information about a quest, region, monster, person, or anything is to have it come from an NPC. They’re everywhere and if your players are lost or confused they can point them in the right direction or talk about a relevant piece of information the characters need.
Think of it as a video game where NPCs are coded to say specific dialogue but for the game they can say whatever they please. They aren’t limited to knowing what they’re told. Bravely Default 2 does this rather well with the game’s main characters. There will often be conversations where characters will talk to one another about their past. It’s a great way to get players to roleplay and talk about their character’s backstory. Which is lore all their own.
Here are a few ways to naturally bring it up in conversation:
Ask a character where they are from
Ask a character what food they enjoyed growing up
Just get players talking about their home or life
An NPC may be talking too loudly at a tavern or street corner
Find a way to connect lore to the players
Tell players different rumors about locations or monsters and have them all discuss what they have heard
Other games that do this quite well are the Dragon Age series and Pillars of Eternity II.
Make it Cinematic
A more unique way to talk about lore is to just show it. Take a step back from the players for a moment and tell them what they would know about an area. Then like a large sweeping shot from a movie or game trailer cinematically describe how it looks, feels, and sounds. It doesn’t have to be in great detail but highlighting some larger landmarks, monsters, or people in the area will help set the scene.
This also works great for a beginning and end of a campaign. Let the players add in their information about their backstory or let them discuss some lore with you as well.
It can even be a collaborative process between the players and the DM. The dungeon master can have players create portions of their own hometown or an upcoming location. Working together is part of what makes tabletop games so great and helps ensure everyone has a fun game.
Ask the players what they believe would be in a specific area. (If it isn’t there already, add it in and surprise them)
Have players describe locations they may be familiar with
Notes and Journals
Documents are a simple way to introduce information. We’ve discussed how to use them in the past to drive plot and they are incredibly useful for storytelling in general. They can be anywhere and say anything. You don’t even have to write them beforehand. Just saying “your character sees a crumpled note on the table” the DM has already pushed them to investigate. Then the game master can just tell the players what it says. Or it can be written ahead of time for a more immersive game.
Skyrim and Morrowind both do an excellent job at laying out notes to players.
Demographics 5’7, 140 lbs, 98 years old, bisexual/demisexual, slender build
Personality Taliesin is ruled by his emotions. Headstrong, assertive, and passionate, he cares deeply about the plight of anyone suffering. But his issues with authority often put him at odds with dangerous people. His risk-taking and button-pushing approach to life creates plenty of conflict. But an adept fighter and healer, Taliesin never backs down in the face of injustice or threats.
Interests Taliesin enjoys learning and reading. He is always up for a good time and a late night party. He hates the art of necromancy and has cultivated his skill in driving away undead and banishing ghosts. Religion surrounds his whole life and he wants to use it to guide and help others.
Born & Raised Berenzia – A large city within the Deep Hollows. Home to primarily dark elves. Ruled by a matriarchal theocracy overseen by eight chosen priestesses. Worship of spider goddess Aranese is strictly enforced. Taliesin was born into a wealthy House with one other sibling: sister Andraste that is 20 years older.
Where We Meet Him Taliesin’s desire to push the boundaries of male status in Berenzia have wound him up in trouble with the ruling priestesses. After recovering from eight months of punishment for his wild tongue, he has run away from home. His goal is to locate the missing spiders. He knows finding answers are his only chance to win back the favor of his people and save himself from a worse fate.
Ruuda of Clan Drybarrel
Dark Dwarf – Dual-Wielding Stealth Warrior
Demographics 4’5, 160 lbs, 107 years old, bisexual/demisexual, athletic build
Personality Pragmatic, a life of disappointments has taught Ruuda to be a realist in all situations. A firm advocate for what she believes in, Ruuda uses a “take no bullshit” approach to life. She would much rather follow than lead, making her voice heard through subtler approaches and quiet perseverance. She is quick to judge anything that is religious or Celestial in nature, harboring a deep hatred and mistrust for both.
Interests Ruuda has been trained in many skills, but the only thing she has truly enjoyed is brewing beer and learning the secrets of nature. Plants and animals fascinate her, and she is always seeking to make friends. Even with animals that would rather kill her. She enjoys long walks in solitude and camping.
Born & Raised Balum Guar – A Deep Hollow city underneath the volcano known as the Marr. This city is based around a caste system from the god Thruumdar’s Blessings. Assigned a Blessing at a young age, that is the role the dark dwarf must fill for their entire life. Mostly dark dwarves live in Balum Guar and it is a monarchy, though the ruling class rarely takes interest in the rest of the city’s affairs. Most Clans are their own separate “islands”, thriving off trade and good relations with the other Clans. Ruuda is the final 12th child in a large and boisterous family.
Where We Meet Her Ruuda has gone through many Blessings in her life. But with each new visit to the priest, none of her Blessings have worked out. Deeply in debt to other clans and worried she might go missing like the rest of the Unblessed, Ruuda’s parents have sent her from the city. Facing an uncertain future and not knowing where else to go, Ruuda has only one mission in mind: kill the god who put her in this situation.
Sen
Dragonborn – Pirate Captain
Demographics 7’0, 350 lbs, 35 years old, pansexual, bulky build
Personality Sen loves a cheering crowd. Ready to party and drink until dawn, it is easy for Sen to make lasting friends due to his laid-back attitude. Despite his often illegal sea ventures, Sen would rather be friends with his crew than boss them around. With his focus on day-to-day pleasures, Sen often doesn’t see the big picture and has trouble making plans. And when he comes across something he doesn’t understand, like magic or other planes, he is quick to leave the situation.
Interests Sen likes to brawl. Tavern brawls, pit fighting, or ship-to-ship combat, it is always a good time for Sen so long as no one dies. He drinks as heavily as he fights, and likes to collect shiny things. Reading and learning do not interest him.
Born & Raised Somberdale – a small coastal village set away from the troubles of the world. An only child, Sen had free roam of the village which led to his love of adventure. At a young age he joined the crew of a captain known as the Baroness, and his pirating days began.
Where We Meet Him Sen is enjoying the best times of his life when he gets a request from a friend. Passage along the western coast of Corventos to the desert known as the Expanse. A helping hand to venture deep into long-forgotten ruins. What could go wrong?
Jade Galanodel
Wild Elf – Druid / Elemental Spellcaster
Demographics 5’6, 135 lbs, 406 years old, bisexual, slender build
Personality Insightful and observant, Jade has no trouble having the hard, deep conversations with people. But she always approaches people with respect and a calm, quiet demeanor. She values wisdom, and she finds that a lot within nature. Patient and dedicated, Jade often puts others before herself. Except when it comes to cities. Sprawling bureaucracy with too many regulations and too little regard for the land, Jade would be happy if she never had to step foot in a single city. She has little sympathy for the problems she feels cities create for their own people, and can easily turn her back on them.
Interests Jade loves all aspects of nature. She is quite skilled at herbalism and cartography, using her nomadic way of life to sell goods to others.
Born & Raised Jade was born to a nomadic tribe that mostly stayed within the Black Reach Mountains. The tribe had a mix of races, but mostly wild elves. She spent her early life traveling with the tribe before she went to train with a druid master. She has one younger brother named Heron.
Where We Meet Her Jade has been staying in Somberdale the last few years, seeking answers to a recurring disaster vision she keeps having. Recovering from the loss of someone dear to her, Jade is trying to distract her mind with bigger issues. But she knows there is a time limit on the disaster she is seeing. And she must find answers soon.
Jasita Yolarin
High Elf – Wizard / Enchantress
Demographics 5’5, 120 lbs, 325 years old, asexual, petite build
Personality Jasita is good at being alone. An only child to absent parents and a young enchantment prodigy at the Citadel, Jasita has trouble in social situations. But she is intellectual, curious, and will happily study her way into exhaustion if it means learning a new spell. Analytical and fact-based, she finds emotion-centric people both fascinating and frustrating. Life is an experiment, and she is always gathering facts and conducting research. But many people don’t like her reading their mind without permission, and it easily puts her at odds with those who could otherwise be her friends.
Interests Jasita loves to read, learn, and study. History and archeology are her favorite pursuits. She is not much for social gatherings, getting drunk, or athletic activities. But she will make an exception for the intrigue of being a field researcher.
Born & Raised Eleste’si – The capital of the elven lands, Jasita was born to researcher parents. Living in a home crowded with books, Jasita was mostly left on her own. She made friends by animating objects in her room or reading people’s minds to hear conversations. She was sent off to the Citadel at an extremely young age to learn magic and grow her natural aptitude.
Where We Meet Her Jasita has finally gotten her first big assignment from the Citadel. The thing that she hopes will get her more independence to conduct her own field research. She is assigned to the guard towers between Eleste’si and the river village of Vesper to listen for rumors of Deep Hollowans crossing the land. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for when she discovers Taliesin and Ruuda.
Brother Zok
Half Human / Half Elf – Paladin
Demographics 6’0, 220 lbs, 29 years old, heterosexual, athletic build
Personality Zok is determined and loyal in all aspects of his life. He is completely devoted to becoming a paladin and pleasing his god, the Holy Dragon. Kind and with a keen sense of justice, Zok can’t turn down helping those in need. However, his mixed race has given him a hungry need to prove himself. He often crosses the line of what is acceptable for his order, putting his faith in jeopardy in order to impress or please others with near-obsession-like fervor.
Interests Zok’s dream is to become a full-fledged paladin. He enjoys adventures, city life, and temple devotional duties. While he has fun at local parties, an afternoon spent mediating is just as pleasing to him.
Born & Raised Sunspire – A hot coastal city that is focused heavily on religion. A merciful city that is welcoming of all, they also have strict regulations against magic. Zok grew up with his human father in a humble lifestyle. But tales of his high elven mother, and his own growing relationship with the Holy Dragon, drew him from home.
Where We Meet Him Zok has been spending his time at the temple in Somberdale as part of his paladin journey. But when his mentor, High Priest Amon, is murdered, Zok makes it his mission to bring the killer to justice. That is easier said than done when he uncovers a conspiracy within the temple itself.
Unolé
Half-Fiend – Rogue
Demographics 5’3, 115 lbs, 26 years old, heterosexual, petite build
Personality Unolé is only ever focused on her mission. Friendly but slow to trust, daring but strategic, and selfless so long as her needs are met first, life has dealt her a difficult hand. Because she grew up on the streets as an orphan before becoming a thief, Unolé is obsessed with things. All things are hers first before they are anyone else’s. And if they are someone else’s, they could easily be hers. She is sure one day she will have enough. But today is not that day. Despite her greed and the easy way lies roll of her lips, Unolé cares for her friends very deeply and will stick by their side through troubling times.
Interests Unolé likes to collect things. Especially gold and jewels. An excellent thief, Unolé dreams of one day having enough to live a worry-free life in a mansion.
Born & Raised An’Ock- The capital city of the Korventine Empire, An’Ock is a bustling monarchy home to all kinds of people from all walks of life. Unolé is an orphan along with her little sister. Having never met their parents, when they aged out of the orphanage they were on the street. Their race made others fearful of them. But soon they were taken in by the Shadow Guild. In exchange for a home and food, they could do thieving contracts for the Guild’s mysterious leader, the Grandmother.
Where We Meet Her Unolé and her sister are on a simple contract when things go terribly wrong. Her little sister is presumed dead, and her body is taken away by a strange, interplanar creature. Now Unolé is hopping across the planes to find her, no matter the risk.
Skar
Dragonborn – Wizard
Demographics 6’7, 300 lbs, 30 years old, heterosexual, tall and lean build
Personality If there is a question, Skar wants to know the answer! Amiable and eccentric, Skar enjoys collecting things others would consider vile. Like giant spider fangs or human skulls. With a proper manner about him, Skar is an easy-going follower who likes to support whatever group he is with. But when it comes to making decisions, planning ahead, or thinking strategically, Skar falls vastly short. There are simply too many distractions around.
Interests Skar loves magic. His entire focus is on learning the arcane arts, discovering things in the field, and exploring new places. He’d much rather camp than stay in a tavern. And he is always up for trying new food.
Born & Raised Unknown
Where We Meet Him Skar finds himself unexpectedly roped into an adventure. With no memory of his life, Skar hopes his travels will provide answers to who did this to him and why.
Artemis Wolfsbane
Half Human / Half Elf – Ranger
Demographics 5’7, 140 lbs, 22 years old, heterosexual, athletic build
Personality Artemis approaches most situations with a mix of smartass remarks and “ride or die” charm. Energetic and unpredictable, anyone who can’t quickly shift their attention will find her antics exhausting. Preferring to either lead or go it alone, Artemis has overflowing confidence and a refusal to admit wrongdoing.
Interests Artemis loves food. Especially sweets. The best way to work off that food is long hikes through nature and a night camping under the stars.
Born & Raised The Southern Kingdoms – a forested land with roaming dire beasts and a history of war. Artemis was raised on a southern farm to a quiet life. She has one younger brother named Romulus.
Where We Meet Her Artemis doesn’t much care where she is going or what she is doing. She accidentally ends up with the group and is happy to fight alongside them and explore new places. So long as they don’t go to the Southern Kingdoms. And so long as they don’t ask her anything about why she left home.
Wash
Mixed Race – Soldier
Demographics 6’0, 200 lbs, 33 years old, pansexual, tall and broad
Personality With dry humor and smartass remarks, Wash can work his way through any conversation with a mix of charisma and lies. He is unafraid to tell things like they are. But he is also a loyal friend who invests himself very deeply in those he cares about. Disciplined from life as a soldier and strategically-minded, Wash rarely loses his temper. But his callous way of handling things can put him at odds with those around him.
Interests Wash lives in the moment. He takes each day as it comes and tries to enjoy himself for that one day. Whether it is fighting, traveling, working odd jobs, or enjoying a quiet’s night drink, Wash doesn’t concern himself a lot with long-term planning.
Born & Raised Sunspire – A hot coastal city that is focused heavily on religion. A merciful city that is welcoming of all, they also have strict regulations against magic. Wash had humble beginnings. The son of a maid, he never met his interplanar father. He joined the army at a young age and fought for them until an event disrupted his life.
Where We Meet Him Wash is on the run from the Citadel for breaking their laws. He also seeks to find answers to why a lifelong friend of his suddenly turned on him.
We explore a quote as it pertains to the emotional benefits of roleplaying in Dungeons & Dragons.
As I was creating an inspirational quote post to share across our social media on tabletop gaming, it got me really thinking. I mean really thinking about this wonderful tabletop game. Perhaps it is because it coincided with a tear-jerking emotional game we recently played. But I reflected on how storytelling and roleplaying through TTRPGs is an extremely healthy experience.
“Fairy tales are more than true: Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” – Neil Gaiman
While tabletop games are much to complex to categorize as “fairy tales”, they are still fantasy to the very core and, per the name, have dragons. But within this quote dragons represent so much more than the scaled elemental-breathing beasts that are so popular to battle. They represent evil, challenges, and obstacles of every kind.
Life is often difficult, tiring, and frustrating. So from an outside perspective, one may wonder why tabletop games are a chosen form of escapism when some games increase your heart rate from stress, bring tears to your eyes, leave your hands shaking, and involve intense arguments between characters.
Perhaps that is the beauty of the cathartic experience. It is an opportunity to unleash emotion in a safe environment. For those of us that are empathic and can really dig deep into a character, it is also a chance to explore another person’s mind and how they view their own struggles and triumphs. And we struggle and triumph with them.
While in real life is not always feasible to defeat our own dragons, and sometimes we have to accept an apology that was never given, or a “plot” that was never resolved. And move on. But in games we get to face these challenges head on. And we get to resolve them.
An outside perspective may have someone curious why a player would endure their own character suffering and breaking down. But I think I know why. Because you can’t appreciate how high the highs are if you don’t experience how low the lows can get. Victory is made sweeter if you once tasted defeat.
And perhaps because we also cling onto that hope ourselves. That no matter how bad things get, and no matter how deeply we feel it will never get better, tabletop games show us the dragon can be beaten. And in our own lives, it gives us the strength and the courage to take that next step.
Tabletop adventure books are generally written with large party dynamics in mind. If you’re like us, it may be you and another person or just you at the table. If that’s the case, we’ve made it easy for you to play your TTRPG without having to find several other players to join.
Getting four to six people to sit around a table (or online) for a few hours a week or month can be challenging. But it’s old fashioned terminology and we believe it should be gotten rid of. For there are ways to play any tabletop session without having multiple people.
We started playing our homebrew world of Thread of Souls in 2015. In the beginning, we had three players. Three is a good magic number but the GM wanted more. The group evolved into five and fluctuated from that to six or seven at times.
Having more players gives much more fluidity when it comes to leading conversations, character development, and plot. Game masters can focus on individual characters when the time comes but there are times when it can be too much. Combat, for instance, is definitely bogged down with a larger party size. Eventually our group fell apart as they often do and it was left with Talia and myself. Sometimes all it takes is two.
Just the Two of Us
Since 2018, we’ve been playing weekly two player sessions of our TTRPG. We play in our homebrew world of Corventos, from our Thread of Souls books, so we don’t have to worry about basing encounters off of a specific number of players. Instead we each play multiple characters each with their own unique skills and backstories.
Playing Multiple Player Characters
While the GM will play every NPC the party encounters, they can also play an adventurer that explores with the party. In our case I play two player characters along with my other tasks. Both have a backstory and take turns in conversations and performing skills like investigating.
It’s all about knowing what your character would know and acting how they would act. If you’re the GM, just keep in mind that while you may know the story or campaign book, your character is just as oblivious as the other player.
Increase Intimacy
Speaking of the other player. Playing with anyone in a one-on-one setting is a great way to grow and build your relationship. You both get to know the other person through the eyes of multiple characters and personalities by having them control as many player characters as they feel comfortable. It also helps if each one acts, speaks, and behaves differently so the GM can tell the difference more easily.
The more comfortable you are with on another, the more fun and deeper role play can get. And if you’re just starting out in a one-on-one setting and don’t know the other person as well, it’s a great ice breaker and allows you both to build a friendship. Or if you just want to fight and gain loot, that’s perfectly okay too.
Story Collaboration
As the GM you can also build encounters around the other players characters. Everyone is a part of the story and they all need time to shine. Make sure you take the time to talk with the player to see what they want to get out of the game. Maybe they like exploring and just want to search for treasure. While others are all about that role play and wish to delve deeper into emotions and plot.
Another great way to handle two player games is to have the player control certain aspects of the session. For instance, if it’s alright with the GM, they can take over for NPCs and speak with the game masters characters.
Tabletop games are all about collaboration. It isn’t GM versus players. It’s a shared story where anyone should feel comfortable to speak up and take part in the epic tale.
Playing together is also great for introverts who aren’t comfortable being in large settings around people. As an introvert, I can say being able to just play with someone I know makes me open up more and come out of my shell.
Honestly, you can make just about any game into a two player game. If you have a single player video game you can hand the controller back and forth to complete different quests or control different characters.
TTRPGs aren’t strictly for groups of players. They are intimate, fun, freeing, and allow for character growth for both the players and their characters. It’s just like writing a book. There is an author and an editor. Imagine both players as the authors and editors of the game, world, and characters.
There are a few fundamental Bardic Inspiration thoughts I use when figuring out how to pick music for a battle. The first is what or who is the villain or force. The second is focused on where the encounter takes place. These two methods will make choosing the best tracks all the more easier.
When it comes to fighting in a tavern or tussling with guards or ruffians in the street, I have one go to song. Assassin’s Creed III‘s Fight Club by Lorne Balfe is upbeat and full of energy. It’s fluid and fun and is for more of a bar brawl or wrestling match.
Whereas Steel for Humans from the Witcher 3: Wild Huntis a bit more lively and mysterious. Don’t let the name fool you into thinking it’s a song designed for specifically fighting humans, the song blends well with battles against monsters too. Marcin Przybyłowicz and Percival’s use of hymnic chanting combined with strings and drums evokes fast-paced action combat.
Dragon Ageis one of our favorite game series and it’s full of captivating music composed by Trevor Morris, especially Inquisition. Without spoiling the ending to the Trespasser DLC, the Trespasser – Qunari Battle theme is perhaps one of my all time favorite battles songs. It’s full of deep pounding drums and low bassy strings making it feel all the more powerful when facing a massive horde or singular powerful enemy – such as the Qunari.
If you’re looking for a lengthier song to leave on for eight minutes, The Blasted Heath by Stuart Chatwood is a great choice. It is from DLC The Color of Madness for Darkest Dungeon and is absolutely epic. It stands out as a solid pick for larger battles with several enemies or one where the villain can monologue for a few minutes before rolling initiative.
Descent into the Depths by Midnight Syndicate is one that can be used to setup a battle and be used during it as well. It’s ominous slow tones make it perfect for pairing with villains the characters know or ones dungeon masters use a few times before building an encounter focused specifically on them. Perhaps they are in the background while their minions fight the party and then flee during to pursue the characters another day.
Setting up battle music really sets the tone for any fight. Having upbeat and rhythmic tracks allows for a deeper and more thought provoking sequence of events. It makes any encounter feel more epic, like a fantasy movie. Next time for Bardic Inspiration we’re sticking with the battle theme but are focusing on boss fights or the BBEG.
Throughout this month of February we’ve been diving into what we found from data analysis of our Dungeons & Dragons-based survey. This survey launched a year ago in early 2020 and was promoted across social media channels. We received 546 responses in total. The base question of our survey was this: Does personality type affect what kind of character you play in D&D?
The simple answer is yes, based upon this survey alone. But there was so much more to dive into than we thought before. With categorizing questions like diversity, age, and occupation, as well as character-related questions like race, class, and quests, we found so many more interesting correlations. Note that in regards to D&D characters, we asked respondents to talk about the favorite character they’ve ever played.
So now, let’s take a wide overview of the most interesting things we learned, and see what conclusions we can draw about D&D and those who play it.
Personality Types
We analyzed all of the Myers-Briggs personality types against our survey choices. While there were certainly some correlations between types of personalities and character races and classes, that was surprisingly not what stood out the most. Personality types were much more likely to impact the type of quest and conflict the character tackled. And we found out that some personality types are much more likely to play D&D than others.
While you can read all the details in the post here, here is the most interesting finds:
The Diplomat personality type group was the most likely to play D&D, with 311/546 respondents. This was followed second by The Analysts, third by The Sentinels, and lastly by The Explorers.
INFP Idealist/Mediator types are the most likely to play D&D. Second is INFJ Counselor/Advocate, third is INTJ Mastermind/Architect, and fourth is ENFP Champion/Campaigner.
ESTP Doer/Entrepreneur types are the least likely to play D&D, with only 1 respondent.
25% of INFP Mediator character classes are Rogues.
50% of INFJ Counselor characters are on quests of Understanding.
100% of ENTJ Commander characters are females, despite the player genders being varied.
Diversity
The survey next asked respondents to self-identify their gender and race. We had significantly more females and white/Caucasians respond, which leaves the question if these groups are more likely to play D&D, or more likely to frequent the areas where this survey was marketed.
While you can read all the details in the post here, here is the most interesting finds:
47% of female respondents had their characters on quests of Understanding.
40% of agender players played Elf (non-Drow) characters.
29% of the white/Caucasian respondents play Elves or Half-Elves.
45% of Latinx respondents play characters with a Person vs Society conflict.
100% of the Pacific Islander respondents play Warlocks.
Age
We next looked into respondent age and if that affected character choices. Curiously enough, there seems to almost be a journey of types of characters throughout someone’s lifetime. As if, as we evolve and grow, what is important for us to explore in D&D also evolves and grows.
While you can read all the details in the post here, here is an overview of the age groups:
Under 18 Players were most likely to play male Elves on quests of Understanding with a Person vs Self conflict.
Aged 18 -24 Players were most likely to play females on quests of Understanding with a Person vs Self conflict.
Aged 25 – 34 Players were most likely to play females on quests of Understanding with a Person vs Self conflict.
Aged 35 – 44 Players were most likely to play females on quests of Understanding with a Person vs Self conflict.
Aged 45 – 54 Players were most likely to play females on quests of Understanding with a Person vs Person / Person vs Society conflict evenly matched.
Aged 55 – 64 Players were most likely to play male Human Paladins on quests of Transformation with a Person vs the Gods conflict.
It is interesting that the youngest and oldest respondent age group (we had no 65+) were more likely to play male characters and all others were more likely to play female. It’s also interesting up until age 44, players are more focused on quests of Understanding and Person vs Self conflicts. After that, it changes to a Person vs Person and Person vs Society. And beyond that to our oldest group, they are on quests of Transformation in a Person vs the Gods battle.
Players aged 25 – 34 years are most likely to play D&D, with 290/546 respondents. Second most likely is 18 – 24, then 35 – 44, 45 – 54, 55 – 64, and Under 18.
Occupation
We offered multiple occupation choices, as well as an “Other” choice. But there weren’t many strong correlations all around. From that you could conclude that the field you go into has little affect on your D&D character choices.
While you can read all the details in the post here, here is the most interesting finds:
“Students” were the most likely group to play D&D, with 88/546 respondents. Second was those in the Education field, third was those in the Information Technology field, and fourth was those in Retail.
The least likely occupation to play was in Sports, with only one respondent.
30% of players in the Medical field are most likely to play Half-Elves.
41% of players in the General/Skilled Labor field are most likely to play Humans.
47% of those in the Science field are most likely to have characters on quests of Understanding.
41% of Stay at Home Parents have characters on quests of Transformation.
36% of those in the Human Resources field play Druids.
40% of those in the Entertainment industry play characters with a Person vs Self conflict.
D&D Character Race
We then dived into the Dungeons & Dragons character-centric questions. Unpacking all the correlations with character race was a good deal of fun! There are definitely some clear preferences. We also had a handful of more unusual races that have only one of two respondents, but it was still exciting to see them represented.
While you can read all the details in the post here, here is the most interesting finds:
Half-Elf was the most popular race. Second was Tiefling, third was Human, and fourth was Elf (non-Drow).
35 respondents classified their character race as “Other”. We had no Deep Gnome respondents.
We had 1-2 respondents each of Duergar, Orc, Aarakocra, Goblin, Kenku, Kobold, Triton, and Bugbear.
Female players held the majority on Half-Elf, Tiefling, Elf, Halfling, Aasimar, Gnome, Drow, Genasi, and Lizardfolk.
Male players held the majority on Dwarf, Dragonborn, Half-Orc, Golaith, Firbolg, and Tabaxi.
42% of Half-Elf characters are on quests of Understanding.
45% of Dwarves are played by players aged 35 – 44 years.
41% of Half-Orcs are Barbarians.
25% of Gnomes are Druids.
50% of Goliaths have a Person vs Society conflict.
D&D Character Class
We broke down 5e character classes to see what correlations we could find. It was a fairly good representation of all classes, with not many outliers in terms of respondents.
While you can read all the details in the post here, here is the most interesting finds:
Rogue was the most popular class. Second was Cleric, third was Druid, and fourth was Bard.
Female players held the majority on Rogue, Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Warlock, Sorcerer, Monk, Paladin, and Blood Hunter.
Male players held the majority on Wizard, Barbarian, Fighter, Artificer, and Gunslinger.
57% of Clerics are on quests of Understanding.
81% of Druid characters end up being female, despite 72% of their players being female.
57% of Rangers are either Elves or Half-Elves.
75% of Barbarian characters end up being male, despite 57% of their players being male.
32% of Paladin players are aged 18 – 24 years.
40% of Sorcerers have a Person vs Society conflict.
100% of Fighter players are white/Caucasian.
Quests
There were a small handful of quests that drive D&D characters from their home. Understanding, Transformation, Redemption, and Revenge.
While you can read all the details in the post here, here is the most interesting finds:
Quests of Understanding were the most popular, with 248/546 respondents. That was followed by Transformation, Redemption, and lastly Revenge.
41% of characters on quests of Transformation have a Person vs Self conflict.
30% of characters on quests of Redemption are either Elves or Half-Elves.
26% of characters on quests of Revenge are Rogues.
Conflicts
The final question was the type of conflict that was central to the D&D character. Overall though, there really weren’t too many correlations.
While you can read all the details in the post here, here is the most interesting finds:
Person vs Self was the most popular conflict, with 144/546 responses. Second was Person vs Society, third was Person vs Person, fourth was Person vs the Gods, fifth was Person vs the Arcane/Technology, and last was Person vs Nature.
31% of characters in a Person vs Person conflict are either Elves or Half-Elves.
55% of characters in a Person vs Nature conflict are male.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, it seems fair to say there is a correlation between players, D&D character choices, and everything in between. It was so much fun to dive into all the survey responses, and we are thankful for everyone who took the time to participate. We hope to continue to put out more thought-provoking content like this, perhaps with bigger sample sizes and more in-depth questions. We hope you enjoyed reading all about it!
Part VI: We look into if certain types of characters or players are more likely to have certain internal quests and conflicts.
It was early in 2020 that we posed the question: does your personality type affect what kind of D&D character you play as? Well, after about a year of collecting hundreds of responses, we have analyzed them all and come to some interesting conclusions. Not only about personality, but about player gender, age, ethnicity, and how some character choices correlate to others. This is the sixth in a series of blog posts throughout this month to dive into what we learned, and what it means for the game of Dungeons & Dragons.
The first question in our survey focused on Myers-Briggs personality types. The second and third on self-identified gender and ethnicity. The third and fourth were on age groups and occupation choices. The fifth question was about the race of the respondent’s favorite D&D character they have ever played. The sixth related to character classes. And the seventh and the eight were about internal quests and conflicts. We’ve taken a look at each and analyzed for player data correlations, as well as other character choice correlations. Again, we had 546 respondents for this survey.
Internal Quests
We looked at certain internal quests to see if D&D character choices correlated. We determined internal quests to be what drove the character to go adventuring. Was it a quest of revenge? Was it for understanding? Were they trying to redeem themselves? All these and more were posed as options in our survey.
By far and large this was the most popular internal quest for a character. There were 248 respondents who said the favorite D&D character they have ever played is on a quest of understanding. After all, what better motive to take you from home than to answer deep questions?
25% are INFP Mediator personality types.
56% of the characters are female.
33% have a Person vs Society conflict.
Quest of Transformation
This was our second most popular internal quests, with 139 respondents. You can expect these types of characters to be focused on redefining who they are, leaving old upbringings behind, and seeking a new purpose.
53% of these characters are female.
41% have a Person vs Self conflict.
Quest of Redemption
This was our third most popular internal quest for a D&D character, with 81 respondents. These characters are trying to right a past wrong, or fix a bad mistake.
This was our last internal quests, with only 78 respondents. Leaving home to seek vengeance and perhaps vigilante justice, there were also interesting correlations with this quest.
51% of these characters are female.
26% are Rogues.
48% have a Person vs Person conflict.
Conflicts
Anyone familiar with story structure (or those who remember school well) will be familiar with types of character conflicts. It always starts with Person vs, and can follow up with Self, Nature, Society, and so on. These typically are key to a character’s backstory, or something critical that evolves in the campaign that the character is passionate about.
Person vs Self
This was our most popular conflict with 161 total respondents. These characters are looking to be at peace with conflict within, and perhaps looking to redeem or transform themselves.
25% of players INFP Mediator personality types.
55% are female characters.
Person vs Society
This was our second most popular conflict, with 144 responses. These characters may feel like outsiders, they may have made enemies, or they may be rebels angry at society.
51% are female characters.
57% are on quests of Understanding.
Person vs Person
This conflict was chosen 119 times. These characters may be out seeking revenge, or have a direct enemy they are up against.
59% of these characters are female.
31% are either Elf or Half-Elf.
Person vs the Gods
We had 72 respondents to this conflict. Why are these characters seeking to battle a god, or many gods? Perhaps they are fighting against a cult, stopping an evil from entering the world, or getting revenge on a god who has wronged them.
54% are female characters.
37% are on a quest of Understanding.
Person vs the Arcane / Technology
We had 32 respondents to this conflict, much less than previous conflicts. These characters are unhappy with magic or technology for a reason. Perhaps it is corrupting life, perhaps it’s being used to hurt others, perhaps they disagree with it.
50% are male characters.
61% are on a quest of Understanding.
Person vs Nature
This was our least most popular choice, with only 18 respondents. Maybe these characters are trying to stop a natural disaster? Maybe they are trying to survive? Maybe they are at war with sentient forces of nature?
55% are male characters.
38% are Humans.
You can read Part I about personality types here. Part II about gender/ethnicity here. Part III about age and occupation here. Part IV about character race here. and Part V about character class here.
We will have a summary post highlighting what we learned, as well as our strongest correlations. That will be posted on February 27th.
